Mutt E-mail

Linux can be a complicated thing sometimes. The Linux terminal seems to be the source for many problems for the new user and even some of the old users. Sometimes there are reasons that force us to use terminal commands instead of the graphical interface. One large pitfall that always bothered me was the lack of e-mail usage from purely within the terminal on Linux. One great program that fixes this issue is Mutt. Mutt is a simple download away from Gmail. One note of importance is that Mutt does require a few support programs to run smoothly. I simply have installed the MTA mail transfer agent and the Apache2 server. I also implemented ssl encryption which will be needed if you use ssl within Gmail.

Once Mutt is installed you should be able to edit the configuration file to include your Gmail login information. Please take special note to set this configuration file permissions for only to your user. This configuration file will contain all the most fragile of information about your Gmail account. Make sure to set your file to use the imap setting found in the Gmail setting page. Imap implementation is far easier though Mutt than pop mail is. Before you go off and start wondering why your Mutt mail does not work you also must set up your ssl encryption if used within Gmail. This can be installed by using the ssl key from Google themselves. Simply run through the ssl key creation process to create your server keys. You also may need to port forward your router and firewall for your Mutt server. Usually this is taken care of automatically but it is always best to check.

Mutt allows you to send e-mails straight from the command prompt at terminal, and has a basic graphical page within Linux. By using some simple terminal commands you can even make your Mutt play tricks. One such interesting function and possibility with Mutt is that you can write a simple program to e-mail you a file of your choice. Now with more information and open access across the internet, there is a good chance that you can send an e-mail directly to your cell phone. You may even be able to have your phone test messaged from the command line.

Why would you ever want to text message yourself? Well that is a good question, which has a pretty good answer. If you can set you computer to automatically e-mail you something or even text message you, you essentially have access to any file on your hard drive at any time. By signing into your computer with putty you can use the terminal commands to send yourself or anyone else any file you wish, this also can be hugely geeked out with cron coding for automatic IP address checking. Automatically checking your IP address is very useful for those wishing to stay in touch with their home computers when away, and they have a dynamic IP address.